Mahogany (2005)

three celli

8 min.

• performed at “Surface Tension” concert, Douglas College Theatre, New Westminster,BC 27 August 2005
• performed at Sonic Boom Festival, Western Front, Vancouver, 19 March, 2006

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This piece was inspired by two very different musical sources: that of early 20thC Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, and that of early 20thC Cuban bandleader and composer Ignacio Piñeiro. On the surface, these two sources of music seem disparate, but upon closer inspection, one might discover some strange similarities between the two. I was drawn to Martinu’s concept of “vertical space,” as well as to Piñeiro’s notions of rhythm and melody, but the resulting piece which grew out of these ideas is distinctly my own. Mahogany grew out of my love for the cello, and my desire to explore the richly-colored timbre of its voice.